Tips for great sleep

Three Rules of Deep Sleep

July 11th, 2016

Okay, so you’re not happy with your sleep. Specifically, you’re not happy with the amount of Deep sleep you get. Every day, you wake up wanting more. But what to do about it? You’ve tried everything under the sun. Everything. You’ve even done all 7 things to improve your sleep and still that Deep sleep number doesn’t move the way you want it to.

We’re going to share with you the Three Rules of Deep sleep. These rules will guide you as you navigate the murky waters of Deep sleep.

Ready, class?

Rule 1: You do not talk about deep sleep

That’s right. Don’t talk about it. Don’t focus on it.

If you focus on it – and only it – you’ll miss the forest for the trees.

Deep sleep is a lot like your weight; it’s one part of a whole recipe for living. If you focus too much on what your “Time in Deep” is – at the expense of the whole picture of your sleep architecture, circadian rhythm, your sleep schedule, and how you feel during the day – you’re going to miss out.

You won’t truly understand how all those pieces of your sleep profile fit together. And as a result, you won’t figure out what you can do to sleep better and feel better, day after day.

Seriously. Stop focusing on that “Deep” time or Deep segment of your Sleep Score.

Rule 2: Deep sleep naturally decreases as you age

It’s true. All sleep stages change as we age, but none decline quite so dramatically as Deep sleep. There’s no hard, fast rule as to why this happens, though educated guesses abound. But the decline in deep sleep does appear to be natural.

The good news is that Light sleep appears to get “deeper” as we age, potentially helping us retain higher levels of memory processing as we get older.

Rule 3: Good habits lead to better quality sleep

You’ve likely heard this before, but it bears repeating because it’s the real deal.

In order to get the best sleep that you can, you need to take care of yourself. What you do during the day affects you at night, regardless of your age. This might not look as dramatic on a 20 year old but trust me, they too can feel it.

If you treat your body badly during the day, then there’s little wonder that your sleep reflects such abuse during the night. Quit beating yourself up. Your body is a temple, and it’s high time you start treating it that way. No excuses.

Those good habits also help you maintain healthy amounts REM and Light sleep, which your body also needs! Good habits, and a balance of sleep among all sleep stages, help regulate and protect your organs, your memory processing, and your overall health.

Understanding limits of Deep Sleep

But I treat my body right, you say. I’ve got great sleep hygiene, sleep according to my circadian rhythms, have little or no chronic pain, and I still only get a pitiful amount of Deep sleep. Now what?

Try treating your body badly for a few days. Do everything wrong, and see how it plays out in your sleep, and in how you feel the next day. Chances are, all those good habits are giving you those precious minutes in Deep Sleep that your body loves so much. You know, those ones that you think are insufficient.

Remember: The First Rule of Deep Sleep is You Do Not Talk about Deep Sleep.

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* ResMed recorded and analysed 2,000,000 nights of sleep in the development of S+

** Users with average sleep scores between 50-60 improved their sleep by an average of 44.71 minutes per night after one week of use.

*** Below average users are those with an average sleep score below 75. Poor sleep is defined as an average sleep score between 50-60. Very poor sleep is defined as an average sleep score between 30-50. Users with average sleep scores between 30-50 improved their sleep by more than 70 minutes per night after one week of use. Aggregate S+ user data as of 03/19/2015. All data is derived from a sample size of [5932] users as of 03/19/2015. Your results may be different.

Note: S+ is not a medical device. If you are seeking information on how to treat a sleep disorder, you should talk to your healthcare provider.